Concerns over recent reports of Back to the Future-style hoverboards catching fire have caused one of the largest Internet retailers to pull the products from its online marketplace (temporarily, at least) in order to conduct a safety check, various media outlets are reporting.
According to Slashgear, Amazon has removed hoverboards from its website until it can verify that the two-wheeled gadgets meet safety standards. That means anyone hoping to order one in time for Christmas will have to look elsewhere—at least for the time being, that is.
It was Best Reviews that first noticed links to some brands of hoverboards, including those made by Swagway and Phunkeeduck, disappearing from Amazon’s site, Re-code/MSN reported earlier this week. Other models, including those from Razor and Jetson, do not appear to be affected.
There have been reports of at least 10 hoverboard-related fires in nine states during the past few weeks, and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission is currently investigating the issue. In the wake of these incidents, hoverboards have been banned by several airlines, and other online retailers—most notably Overstock.com—have stopped selling them.
One hoverboard manufacturer responds to the move
In a statement provided The Verge, Swagway said that Amazon sent out a notice to hoverboard makers asking them “to provide documentation demonstrating” that each of their products “are compliant with applicable safety standards, including UN 38.3 (battery), UL 1642 (battery), and UL 60950-1 (charger).”
“Swagway already meets all those certifications and is happy that Amazon has decided to take steps to weed out the low quality boards,” they added. “As safety is always on the forefront for Swagway, we’re glad that this is taking place, especially in light of recent concerns with the fires with the poor quality batteries.”
Furthermore, the company told the website that it was “in the process of working on measures” designed “to help consumers identify between an authentic Swagway and the many imitation boards that are adding our branded logo to their unauthorized boards. Meanwhile, we ask that consumers only purchase from authorized retailers as an added precaution.”
Hoverboard fires have been reported in Louisiana, Alabama, California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, New York, and Washington, Fox 59 in Indianapolis reported last Friday. It is not clear which brands or products were involved in any of those incidents.
—–
Feature Image: Swagway
Comments